Venom
by IRiSEaGLes
Summary: Written for The Houses Competition. Ron finds out that he is allergic to a Bertie Bott Bean, sending Harry into a PTSD crisis. Trigger warning: mention of PTSD.


"Bleh!" A half-eaten Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean goes flying across the compartment of the Hogwarts Express sticking to the seat between two girls.

"Ron that's disgusting. Where did you learn your manners? Because it wasn't from Mum." Ginevra Weasley has managed to channel her mother's tone, to the point you would think you are talking to the ominous Molly Weasley when she gets like this. It is like a Howler impersonated. It can be quite terrifying.

"Ronald," Hermione picks up where Ginny left off, not missing a beat glaring at the abominable bean, "I hope you don't expect me to kiss you after you have put something disgusting in your mouth. I am not Lavender."

That makes me chuckle. Only Hermione Granger can degrade her boyfriend by bringing up the one ex-girlfriend that still irks her deep down.

We all forgave Ron for everything. He's Ron. Sweet, somewhat oblivious, Ron. Ron that will follow you to the ends of the Earth, but at the same time find a way to trip over his own feet as he went. He may have left us when we were looking for the Horcruxes, but we forgave him. He initially chose Lavender over Hermione, but we forgave him. But will Hermione let him forget it? Doubtful. I honestly can foresee her in the throws of labor, yelling to him about why he chose Lavender over her.

Yes, that will be a thing. And I really don't want to be there to witness it.

Well, the girls still hold a grudge, I think it comes with having ovaries you know, but overall we all forgave him for his not-so-intelligent moves. Because, honestly, it was stupid. Who would choose Lavender? Over your best friend, no less.

"It was the most disgusting flavor I have ever had." Ron looks an unhealthy shade of green. Picking the putrid, half-chewed candy up, he eyes it like it personally offended him with the vile taste. "I think I'm allergic to you," he says to it. "I already feel my tongue swelling up." He turns his gaze to Hermione, "Can you check for me?"

With that, he sticks his tongue out for all of us to see.

And there is a spot on it that is black.

And the spot seems to be growing.

It reminds me of a Spider-Man comic I pilfered off Dudley and read before Hogwarts. It was one where the Venom symbiote took over Peter Parker…

"That is _disgusting_," my adorable girlfriend says. Ginny is one of those whose twisted face makes her look human. All the other times she looks angelic.

Hermione gets her wand out, probably to do some simple healing spells, "Ronald, is there anything you really are allergic to? And don't say Bubotuber pus, we all know you used that to get out of Professor Sprout's class."

"Cod Liver Oil," at least that is what I think he said. It was more like "_ud ivr ll_," if truth be told.

Hermione turns her attention to me, "Harry, can you please go see which professor is on duty? I will try and contain the allergen, but I think this is work for Madame Pomfrey."

Ginny and I both leave the compartment. I knew that getting Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans was a bad idea. But George thought it would be nice to have something to talk about and eat on the way back to Hogwarts. I think he may have filled the whole package with Cod Liver Oil flavored beans, just to get his brother sick.

It's not like I am staying this year. Nor Ron. We will be going home after the girls get settled in at school. I want to see the castle, to put all my demons to rest. Ron doesn't trust anyone at the moment, outside his family, me, and Hermione. But we might as well be family too. He's lost faith. Faith in love and faith in the goodness of other people.

And if I tell him that it was his brother who gave me the Bertie Bott's beans, then he will only lose more faith. He needs to keep faith in something - and right now we can't chance him pushing away his family too.

I think the trials for the Death Eaters are what broke him. He heard the horrors that wizards did to each other. Some were proud of their actions. Some were scared. Some were just upset that they lost.

I think of how similar it is to that blackness eating away at Ron's tongue. That same darkness eats away at someone's soul until it is no more if not contained, or destroyed.

That thought has me walking faster suddenly, shocking Ginny. "I just want to find the Professor," I say before her unasked question can emerge. I know her well enough to know that she will question my change in speed, probably worrying.

"I know, but we won't get there any faster. The Professor and Madame Pomfrey are near the back of the train. I saw Pomfrey board at King's Cross."

"Then let's hurry. Otherwise, your brother may not have a tongue to kiss Hermione with." That is a horrifying thought. Well, both are - him kissing Hermione, though we all have seen it a lot over the past few months, and him without part of his tongue.

Ginny abruptly stops, somewhere between laughing and being disgusted. "Maybe it will have him eat slower or less. We might want to take our time."

Shaking my head, my pace quickens again, headed directly to the back of the train where Ginny said the professors and Madame Pomfrey are located. It hit me, again. George lost an ear. Fred lost his life. Moody, Tonks, Remus… Sirius. The pain that we faced, the losses, the… everything. Hermione calls it Post Traumatic Stress. I don't have anything to call it other than the cold hand of death grabbing my heart. Every time it hits, it hurts all over, again. And again. And I can't get out of my head. I can't forget the vacant look in their eyes.

Ginny can read the instant my emotions change. She knows it all too well. The nightmares, the flashbacks, the loss. "I can't… it's just…"

The look in her eyes says she understands my unspoken words. It may only be an allergic reaction, but it is hitting me. Straight to the gut and harder than the Killing Curse. I can't lose Ron. Not anyone more. Not again. Not now that we have won.

Even if it is only the tip of his tongue and because of a disgusting Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean.

* * *

Author's Notes

House: Snakes  
Class: Potions  
Standard  
Word Count: 1111  
Prompt: [Object] Bertie Bott's Cod Liver Oil Flavoured Bean and [Speech] "I think I'm allergic to you"


End file.
